Luang Por

What is the difference between Luang Por and Arjan?

Are they different in status? How to be qualified being one? Who give them the title or self claimed? What about the ordindary monk how we call them?

In the Thai culture, we always honor other by calling them. That’s why we normally start calling with the word “”Khun” infront of their names.

After the ordination and become a monk(Phra), we cannot call them Khun any more, but Phra (name of the monk) insatead.

To pay more respect to monks as they are the one of the Three Gems in Bhuddism, Thai people normally call monks starting with Luang or Ajarn. Luang can be many Luangs e.g Luang Por(farther), Luang Pee(brother), Luang Lung or luang Na(uncle), but we don’t call Luang Nong(younger brother).

Both Luang Por and Ajarn are diifferent in meaning, but can be used to call any monk in such a way to give them honor while they are in a monkhood. You can call Luang Por if the monk is aged enough to be your Dad, but if the monk still young Ajarn is more suitable. Ajarn means somebody who give knowladge. Any monk can give Bhuddism knowledge, so they can be call Ajarn. So, one monk can be both Luang Por and Ajarn depend on how you want to honor him.

If the monk named Tom, calling him Luang Por Tom or Ajarn Tom is much better than Phra Tom (which normally used between monk and monk at the same age of monkhood)